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New Haven win propeled Halep to No. 2 in world BY ROGER CLEAVELAND REPUBLICAN-AMERICAN

Simona Halep, of Romania, hits a backhand during her semifinal against Caroline Wozniacki, of Denmark, at the New Haven Open tennis tournament in New Haven, Conn., Friday, Aug. 23, 2013. (AP Photo/Fred Beckham)

Simona Halep seemed to be reading from a director's script Tuesday as she described her rise from obscurity to the heights of women's tennis.

The 22-year-old, who will take over the No. 2 ranking in the world Monday, explained in a teleconference from Romania that last year when she played at the Connecticut Open in New Haven she was still searching for her first title in a WTA premier event and the crucial confidence such a win could create.

While she started playing well enough last year to win three lower-tier tournaments before becoming the New Haven champion, the victory here changed her. It vaulted her into the Top 20 for the first time in her career and provided the momentum for her deepest run in a grand slam tournament to that point as she advanced into the fourth round of the U.S. Open.

"After that tournament, I thought that I can play well also in grand slams," Halep said. "And then I played in Australia very well. I did quarterfinals there and had more confidence in my serve. I started to play more aggressive and had more confidence in my mind, in my body and also in my game that I could be in the Top 10."

She's taken her ranking and her game a lot further than even she actually thought she could at this juncture in her career. This year she also reached the final at the French Open and followed with a semifinal appearance at Wimbledon.

Halep and Genie Bouchard, both of whom are playing at the Connecticut Open on Aug. 17-23, are the only two women's players

See HALEP, Page 9B

this year to reach the quarterfinals of all three grand slams so far. They are also the only two to reach the semifinals in two grand slams.

"Simona is the latest example — following players like James Blake and Caroline Wozniacki — that our tournament is the breeding ground for the stars of tomorrow," said Connecticut Open tournament director Anne Worcester. "Last August, people were saying, 'Simona who?' And now she has eight WTA titles and has done as well as anyone in the grand slams.

"It is what our fans love most about our tournament. They get to discover these players on our outer courts, where they watch them up close and personal. Then they follow their success at the U.S. Open and around the world after that."

Halep said her quick rise in the world rankings wasn't just a result of confidence developed in New Haven, where she beat Petra Kvitova and Caroline Wozniacki last year. Her success was also due to the transformation in her game that saw her improve her serve and become more aggressive while playing at the baseline more.

"She reminds me a lot of (Martina) Hingis," Worcester said. "She is short (5-foot-6), but she compensates with strategy and moves incredibly quickly around the court. Like Hingis, she also seems to have this radar that allows her to anticipate where the ball is going, and she is constantly moving really well, ready for anything."

Everything, that is, except for the amount of success she's had already.

"To be honest, I didn't expect to be No. 2 in the world this year, but I played very well in grand slams," Halep said. "That is why I am here now. I also didn't have injuries so I had good results. It is very hard to think I could be No. 1 in the world, because Serena is still there and she is a great champion. But I have to believe in this chance and try to play at my highest level to win more."

Halep won her last tournament a few weeks ago in Bucharest, went on holiday for a week in Turkey and then home for a few more days to relax and get her body ready for the rest of the year.

She said her dream right now is to play well enough to qualify among the top eight players for the WTA Finals round robin end of season championship in Singapore.

Worcester believes much bigger things are in store for Halep.

"She has risen meteorically in the rankings," Worcester said. "Usually it takes a player 2-3 years to go from 75 to No. 2. I would love to know if anyone has ever done it this quickly in the history of women's tennis. I do know that she is the latest example that playing well in New Haven results in good things for players."

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